Inertia
by Lilybet.Kate
Summary: Inertia - the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or motion unless acted upon by an external force. What happens when Ariadne's inertia is thrown off yet again? A dangerous job, old friends and the continuing question: Is this real?
1. Prologue

**A/N: After watching this movie I was struck with how I really wanted to do this fic. So i caved and did and I'm loving it so inspired. If i get anything glaringly wrong point it out, merci.**

**Summary****: Inertia - the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. What happens when Ariadne's inertia is thrown off yet again? A dangerous mission, old friends and the continuing question: Is this real?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inception, I am not nearly clever enough to bend minds like that. Also I've only read a handful of Inception fics so this all comes from my messed up mind**

**Thanks to my lovely beta Haylee for kicking my bum into posting. The chapters are longer than this. Promise.  
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**Inertia**_

**_Prologue_**

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After the Inception she returned to Paris, to her life, not that it could ever be called normal in the first instance. She didn't expect to hear from the team again but it didn't stop her from hoping. She split her attention equally; the first half on her studies, producing a high standard of work as usual. It was easier now, silly and trivial almost but she completed it without a single complaint. The other half of her attention she focussed on wishing, hoping and fantasising.

She dreamt of all the different ways that her team members would save her from her monotonous existence and whisk her away to a life of pure creativity and adrenaline. She was in no way stupid; she knew Cobb was not coming back for her, for any of them. For the others though she still had hope. She wished, Arthur, Eames and even on occasion Yusef would come and whisk her back into the addictive and slightly immoral world of dream thieving. Even Saito would be a welcoming face, hell after a while she would even admit to herself that she would be happy to see Fisher again.

After a month she immersed herself completely into her school work, spending more time than she thought possible on her work, barely sleeping and going out with her friends just often enough to keep them from worrying. Soon her roommate stops asking where she went.

They still didn't come. Another month passes - then two, then it's been a season. Six months later she began wishing that she'd dreamt it up. It felt like a dream but she knew it happened, her totem is still buried deep in underwear draw and she knew deep within her heart no matter how good she was, she couldn't have imagined it in a million years. She couldn't have created such complex and twisted men. She couldn't begin to fathom the depths of the revenge and angst.

A full year had passed before she felt comfortable spending any of the money sitting in her bank account, another reminder that this was real. She splashed out on a slightly larger apartment for her and her roommate. It was in a nicer area of Paris, and it was beautifully furnished but inconspicuous. They continued to live together until Heather moved in with her fiancé and again it served as another painful and rather blunt reminder that her life held no substance.

Several months after Heather had moved out, she stopped seeing Arthur in every well-groomed man that happened to pass her in the street, stopped hearing Eames in every British accent and stopped envisioning Cobb when she saw children with their fathers.

Exactly 472 days later, she gave up on them ever coming back for her. That is longer than safety's sake. She resigns herself to the fact that she was only on the team for Cobb, that the rest of them didn't care for her or respect her skills. She was alright with this, she has to be.

Ariadne is moving forwards, with no destination in mind.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary: **** Inertia - the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. What happens when Ariadne's inertia is thrown off yet again? A dangerous job, old friends and the continuing question: Is this real?**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it.  
**

**A/N: I planned to wait a bit longer to update this but I really couldn't do it. Here we go chapter 1. Longer than the Prologue but still shorter than I aim for most chapters to be.  
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**_Inertia  
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_Chapter 1 _

_"Waiting for Something Always Waiting Feeling Nothing"  
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_It's a warm Friday.._.Ariadne noted as she stepped onto the street. The air had been cool and crisp when she'd arrived at the University that morning but now it was balmy and sweet. She decided to forgo the Metro instead she walked the relatively short distance to her apartment, it wasn't like she needed to dash back for any reason.

As she walked she thought about the building blueprints that she had to submit on Monday. The design was for a hotel but held no resemblance to the hotel from the dream, it was warmer less precise with razor sharp edges. For the first time she had not consciously differentiating, it's just the way the hotel wanted to be drawn. She regretted having to turn down Heather's offer to go 'wedding crap' shopping but she needed to finish her assignment. It was all she planned to focus on when the weekend rolled around, as always she regretted leaving it until the last minute and swore she wouldn't do the same ever again.

When she arrived at her apartment she unlocked the door and kicked it open, dropping her books and bag on the hallway table. She didn't bother turning on the lights, instead she opened the blinds in the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. She retrieved her novel from the hallway table and made her way to her sitting room. She fully intended to relax and leave the assignment until Saturday.

Flicking the sitting room light on she started forward towards the couch only to stop short and scream dropping her book it bounced along the ground dislodging a couple of pages. There was someone sitting on her living room couch. A very familiar someone who's brow rose amusedly at her sudden jolt of surprise.

"Freaking Hell." She spluttered, putting the glass on her coffee table while trying to calm her shaky hands "I thought I'd gotten over this crap and here I go dreaming again."

"You're not dreaming Ariadne." He said calmly.

"You'd say that even if I was." She rationalised, stepping over her book.

"You remember how you got here." He was right, she had to admit, she remembered every monotonous detail of her day, surely her dreams wouldn't be so boring.

"My whole day could have been a dream, a really complex dream, but still a dream." She pointed out.

"You know that's not true."

"How do _you _know that?" She tried not to sound hysterical, she knew there was no reason to be but she couldn't help herself. Ariadne prided herself on the fact she wasn't a hysterical or delicate girl. But this contact, just after she had resigned herself to the fact that she would never hear from any of them again sent her for a head spin.

"I know you Ariadne." He still sounded eerily calm, after her almost outburst Ariadne found herself wondering if he ever wasn't calm.

"Arthur what are you _doing here_." Her voice goes shrill at the end of her sentence as she sunk into the couch, as far away from her unlikely companion as possible.

His eyes fixed onto her steadily, a gaze she always found reassuring. This time it brings forth a wave of resentment at being abandoned for so long. She tried to hide it, meeting his gaze unfalteringly - but she was struck with the feeling that he knew of her unease. Arthur always knew.

A little over five minutes passed before either of them says another word. Ariadne caved first. "Do you want…" She started not sure what she was going to ask him. She just craved sound to cut through the murky atmosphere.

He stood up surprising her with the sudden movement, "Let's go."

"Go where?" She asks, rising from the seat slowly.

"To eat." He brushed past her out into the corridor. "It's your city, you pick where."

"Why?" She followed him, still instinctively trusting him.

"You're less likely to cause a scene in public." He informed her matter of factly.

"Well this is defiantly going to be interesting." She muttered as he opens the door. Not for the first time she wonders how he got into her apartment before deciding she doesn't want to know.

* * *

"What do you want?" Ariadne asked him again as they sat in the small café near her apartment growing irritated with her companion. Arthur regarded her carefully as he eate his salad. Her own brightly coloured salad lay untouched in front of her.

"We have a job offer," he reveals, putting down his fork and scrutinising her for a reaction.

"Whose we?" she asked raising a brow, her curiosity peaked.

"I can't tell you that." He said taking a sip of his water; Ariadne couldn't recall a time where Arthur had consumed alcohol.

"You're offering me a job where I can't even know who I'm working with." She asked him sceptically, taking a sip of her own glass of wine.

"No of course not." She thinks he looks amused. She used to be able to tell, now she's not so sure.

"Sorry I'm not psychic, just confused so... Please enlighten me." She said slightly ticked off as she placed the glass back on the table and crossed her arms.

"I can't tell you who you'd be working with until you accept the job." She started to blush, feeling stupid. Of course he couldn't tell her, not in the line of work they were in.

"You're sure I'll accept the job are you?" she asked instead, trying to force the colour from her cheeks and neck. She feels a tinge of anger now; _he thinks I'm just going to jump into the deep end?_ She mused.

"No. I'm not sure. But I'm offering. You're the best for this job." He tells her honestly, and she feels a small amount of pleasure at his praise, Arthur was always honest and not one for giving out undeserved praise she remembers.  
"Only the best for this job?" She asked, frowning slightly. She doesn't think she's arrogant but when she was working the Fischer job, Cobb showered her in praise.

Arthur, as always seemed to know what she was thinking, "You're good. You have the talent, you're just green."

"No." She tells him. Anyone else would have been confused at her minds leaps. Arthur wasn't, at least he didn't let on.

"Fair enough." He nodded. Without a fight, she notes with a start of disappointment. So that was it, he didn't particularly want her. Maybe it was a last favour, maybe not. She didn't pretend to know but she wanted to be able to understand, what he was playing at coming to her now.

She jumped when his voice snapped her out of her internal argument "We have a fortnight until the architect absolutely needs to start working." He tells her, standing up, "Call me if you change your mind." He said with a knowing smirk, as if he was silently daring her, _challenging _her to pick up the phone in the near future. _Like that's going to happen. _She scoffed mentally; she wasn't going to inflate his ego by accepting his challenge. He handed her a business card that was blank except for the boldly printed phone number.

He walked out of her life again, and again she does nothing to stop him. Except this time he leaves something behind.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary: **** Inertia - the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. What happens when Ariadne's inertia is thrown off yet again? A dangerous job, old friends and the continuing question: Is this real?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the characters or the movie just the plot of this little story.**

**A/N: We're getting longer. Thanks to everyone who added this to alerts, which was a heck of a lot more people than i expected. Again this update is quicker than I expect to be once school kicks into gear but i really liked this chapter  
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**_Inertia _

_Chapter 2 _

_"I 'm running from the light running from the day to night"_

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_"She said no, didn't she?" Is the greeting Arthur gets when he returns to his hotel room.

"Yes." He nodded, shedding his jacket and taking the armchair across from the couch.

"Why the bloody hell did she say no? Does she know what's at stake?" Eames asked as he lounged across the couch.

"No she doesn't." Arthur shook his head and leant forward

"How could you not tell her what's at stake? This is my head on the line."

"She'll do it anyway." Arthur said confidently, resting his chin on his interlocked fingers.

"How can you be so damn sure?" Eames asked sitting up straighter in his seat, his expression tense.

"It's my job to be sure, remember I'm doing my job here?" Arthur pointed out.

"Yes, yes I remember you're all about your job darling." Eames deadpanned as he flicked his legs off the chair and onto the glass coffee table.

"It's the only reason you're still alive _darling_." He bit back with equal sarcasm, his facial expression remaining the same.

"How is she going to find us?" Eames asked, for once not in the mood to argue with the point man.

"I left a number with her." Arthur leaned back slightly, untangling his fingers to rest them on his knees.

"She'll never call, she's too proud for that." Eames sighed bitterly, "Please tell me you have a better plan than that."

"She will call, with the right motivation." Arthur corrected him confidently.

"I suppose you have a great idea about how to motivate her?" Eames asked dryly, not believing it for a second.

"As surprising as it sounds, I believe I do." Eames noticed the playful and mysterious sparkle in Arthur's eye and wondered if he might have underestimated the Point Man's Imagination.

"Really, I'm sure whatever it is, it's boring and dull and our dear Ariadne will see through it in a second."

"You underestimate me again. Have you not learnt yet?" Arthur asked his companion, amusement clearly evident in his voice.

"It was a fluke," Eames shrugged, "I on the other hand have a brilliant plan. But I suppose I can let you share yours first." He droned as if it was a great personal sacrifice.

"You are too kind Eames."

"What did we discuss about condescension Arthur?" Eames waggled his finger at Arthur with a cheeky grin.

"We'll have to wait for a fortnight though." Arthur continued ignoring the patronising finger.

"That's cutting it a bit fine." Eames frowned, an uncustomary move.

"It'll work. And she'll be here in time."

"She better bloody well be or it's your head on the chopping block first."

* * *

The next week passed at a snail's pace for Ariadne. By lunchtime on Saturday when she finally managed to drag herself out of the warm cocoon of her blankets she was beginning to regret turning Arthur down. She'd done it for petty reasons, but she still wasn't quite sure she wanted it.

By Sunday morning she regretted it more than anything in her life. She was unable to focus properly on her hotel plans, and when she did force herself to work the lines became straighter, harder and not for the first or last time she started to curse Arthur. For both returning to her life and walking out again so quickly without a fight. It was her own fault really, for being so stubborn and shallow but she would never admit that to him. Despite her longing to return to the dream world, to the team and maybe perhaps Arthur in particular, Ariadne was proud and had sworn to herself she wouldn't call him. So she didn't. For the rest of the weekend she threw herself headfirst into the blueprints. So what if they brought back painful memories or weren't completely original. They were the best she could come up with given the circumstances and there was so way she was going to let herself fail because of _him_.

Monday morning came around she reluctantly dragged herself out of bed at 8 o'clock like she did every Monday, even if she didn't have a measly two hours of sleep every Monday. She showered, dressed and ate in a haze of sleep deprivation and pride fueled regret. She went to all her classes, she took notes and handed in her blueprints without really absorbing a single detail. Tuesday and Wednesday repeated in the same pattern. Passing by in a blur of monotony.

She awoke on Thursday morning with a resolve to move forward. She'd removed them from her life for good, she tried to tell herself. She could now go on with life without wondering what had happened to them, without wishing they would at least make contact. They had, and she told herself she'd done the right thing in refusing the offer. She almost convinced herself.

On Friday, Heather tracked her down after class and coerced her into a shopping trip for her wedding. Ariadne took little convincing, she had already turned her down once and it wasn't like she had anything else to do. Plus it would take her mind off of everything and help her get back down to earth.

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"What did you mean exactly by 'wedding stuff?'" Ariadne asked Heather as they sat in the back of a cab on Saturday morning, belatedly realizing she might be in for a horror day of dress fitting.

"We're not looking for dresses or anything so you can breathe easy." The tall red-head told her ex-roommate,

"I wasn't worried about it." Ariadne lied with a small shrug.

"No of course you weren't," Heather's blue eyes sparkled with suppressed amusement.

"If we aren't looking at dresses, what are we looking at?" Ariadne asked as the taxi pulled to a stop.

"Bits and pieces." Heather added absentmindedly as she paid the driver and the two girls hopped out. "But first we're going to eat, I am absolutely famished."

"You're always 'absolutely famished'" Ariadne teased, none the less following her friend into the mildly busy café, she herself hadn't eaten that morning and was feeling it.

"So how interesting and unpredictable was your weekend?" Heather asked as the two girls sat down.

"What? Oh it was, boring you know, unremarkable." Ariadne started, _what did Heather know?_ She mused worriedly "Why do you ask?" Her words sounded weak to her own ears but she hoped that Heather wouldn't pick it up. She did.

"I was just wondering how that assignment was going." Heather gave her a curious look, "But now I wonder what it is that made you so skittish."

"Nothing, I was just confused is all." Ariadne said quickly, this time sounding more confident. She would have believed her own words if she was in Heather's position.

Heather gave her another concerned and puzzled look before letting it her weirdness slide and beginning to discuss wedding details.

It was as they were sipping coffees and reminiscing about their first years in college that Ariadne heard it for the first time. Heather was in the middle of a giggle-inducing story about an unfortunately unlucky professor when the words floated to Ariadne through the café crowd, spoken in an unmistakable English accent "Darling that's never going to work. This job is damn important."

Abruptly Ariadne stopped laughing, no longer feeling very humorous. It takes Heather a couple of seconds to notice and when she does she abruptly stops her story mid sentence and the twinkle in her eyes dims. "Ariadne." She said trying to get her friends attention, "Ariadne." She speaks louder the second time.

"Yes Heather?" Ariadne internally shook and berated herself. It didn't mean anything, there had to be more than one English 'business man' in Paris. Didn't there?

"Whatever is the matter with you?" she tried to peer into her friend's eyes but Ariadne was very good at avoiding her gaze.

"Nothing. I just spaced out for a second there." She sent her friend her best don't-worry-about-me smile that she'd perfected in the 18 months since the Inception.

"You look like you've seen a dream-ghost or something." Heather jokes but Ariadne goes pale at the words. Dreams. Is she dreaming? She wonders before dismissing the silly thought. She's thought she'd heard her old team member plenty of times in the first year. She'd just regressed since his visit.

"I'm alright, promise." She repeated herself. "Now let's go look at some flowers and shoes." She said distracting her friend from prying.

The second time it happens she's standing in a shoe shop, helping Heather decide between heels and wedges – not that she really cared about the difference. She didn't think the shoes will even be visible under the dresses anyway. She drifts away as her friend has a heated and in depth discussion of the pros and cons with the sales assistant. Standing by the window, looking outside onto the street she hears two men arguing. The words that start out as mumbled soon become more pointed, Heather's voice seems to drift off into the background while the arguing increased in volume. It's not until she turns around to return inside that she really _hears_ their words. She froze.

"Arthur. I can't do it." Again it's the English accent, this time sounding exasperated.

"It's a freaking optician; you don't even really need the glasses." The cool and composed voice murmured as Ariadne closed her eyes.

"They take pictures in there, that's risky and you know it."

"I think you're just scared." The second, oh so familiar voice sounds more distant now, as if they're finally moving on. Or her mind has worked out the hallucination and let them go. She stands rooted to the spot until Heather comes up behind her, ushering her out of the shop whilst complaining about inadequate staff these days, not even noticing her friends' preoccupation. _It's all in my head_ she chants to herself mentally over and over again as Heather ushers her towards the florist.

* * *

"We defiantly want flowers for our hair." Heather was telling the wedding florets as Ariadne sat on one of the plush chairs that look soft but were really rock hard. "White is probably our best bet. It won't clash with my hair and will contrast beautifully with Ariadne's."

"You want flowers for my hair too?" Ariadne asked, finally tuning back into the conversation.

"Of course, you're my maid of honour! We'll match in everything, except the wedding dress." Heather told her perkily and Ariadne felt a sudden surge of affection for her only American friend in Paris.

"Alright." Ariadne said softly, and Heather beamed at her friend's soft flattery before returning her attention to the florist.

Ariadne soon became bored again her eyes darting all around the inside of the building and taking in all the little details that make it unique. She's stood up, heading towards the store window when she finally saw him. He was walking past the shop. Just before he passed the doorway he turns his head ever so slightly and looks her in the eye. This is too much for Ariadne. She hurries back to Heather and informs her she's going to the bathroom.

"Are you sure your alright sweetie?" Heather asks again, and Ariadne gets the feeling that she feels left out.

"I'm really fine I promise." She smiles weakly, fingering her totem in her pocket. Ever since his visit she'd taken to carrying it around in her pocket. Just in case "Just thought I saw someone I knew." She threw over her shoulder before rushing to the restroom.

She stands in front of the mirror leaning over the sink and looks at herself, her totem lies on its side on the bench, she hasn't bothered to set it right after the seventh time it fell over when she applied just the right amount of force, letting her know it defiantly wasn't a dream. Peering into the mirror, she was happy to see that her physical aspects hadn't changed. Much. Her long dark hair was hanging slightly limp from her neglect in washing it recently. Her eyes were the same dark orbs, but after intense scrutiny, she noticed how exhausted and troubled she really was. They had been that way since the job began. Her favourite silk scarf hung around her neck and her white shirt and jeans were crisp and spotless. There was no outward indication of her inner madness and delusions.

She knew what she had to do. Her projections of the team into her life have never been this strong or numerous before, it's since he came back into her life. She found herself wishing on every star that he hadn't come to her now. Of course if she really was honest she was glad, she knew that it had been inevitable.

Ariadne now had a purpose. A calling, just not one she ever would have chosen.

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**Any thoughts or criticism welcomed very much. Let me know if something doesn't quite gel or i get a fact or characterization wrong I'll endeavor to fix it, I really want to hear your opinions to help me improve, even if it's to tell me you don't like where I'm taking it and you won't be reading anymore. Until next time. x  
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	4. Chapter 3

**Summary: **** Inertia - the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. What happens when Ariadne's inertia is thrown off yet again? A dangerous job, old friends and the continuing question: Is this real?**

**Disclaimer: Still own jack all but if I got the rights you'd hear about it.**

**A/N: Ok yes I know Ariadne is a little, different from the movie bordering OOC at some points. I'm really sorry i've tried to fix that here just keep in mind she's been abandoned for a year and a bit but hopefully she's more stubborn and strong from now on. Longer wait this time because school really is a jerk, also the next chapter isn't finished yet so the next one might be an even longer wait, sorry in advance.  
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* * *

_Inertia _

_Chapter 3 _

_I Have No Defence, I know You're Going to Get Me In the End _

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Despite reluctantly making decision to call Arthur, Ariadne didn't pick up the phone until late on Sunday evening. She kept thinking perhaps she just needed time to get over all this again before she realised she was just making excuses. Even if her imagination settled down, and she didn't want to wait another 18 months, little things would set her off again. She had the opportunity to do another last job and find closure. If she was honest with herself she would admit that dreaming was what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Not that she would have the option so this would be her last opportunity. That thought settled the matter for her.

She finally found the courage to call him after she'd eaten a heat in the oven meal. Sitting curled up in the arm chair with the steady presence of her totem on the table to her left and a well worn book on her lap she picked up her mobile and dialled the number from the card.

"Hello?" he answered after only a couple of rings.

"Arthur." She swallowed nervously, losing her courage again.

"Ariadne," There's some sort of noise in the background that she can hear and she wonders if she's caught him at a bad time. Does Arthur ever have bad times she wondered before returning her thoughts to the matter at hand.

"I was just calling because." She starts before being struck with uncharacteristic uncertainty. What if they had a new architect? Or the offer wasn't still standing? It had been a week and he'd given her two but what if it was just a formality?

"You reconsidered," he finished her sentence for her, bringing her attention back to the present.

"Yes." Is all she says.

"Couldn't stay away from the lure of pure creation?" he teases her gently.

"Something like that." She passes it off, there is no way she's going to tell him the truth; he might think she was delusional and revoke his offer.

"You want the job now?" He offered her, as a formality she thinks.

"Yes please." She nods, feeling silly when she realise he can't see her.

"Great. We'll be there at eight tomorrow." He tells her "Goodbye Ariadne."

She finds herself saying goodbye and hanging up without really processing anything. Just like that, after a not ever three minute phone call she feels like her life is going to be irreversibly changed yet again. She sits in the chair for an hour staring at her blank TV screen before coming to her senses just enough to crawl into her bed, still fully clothed.

* * *

By 7:30 Monday morning Ariadne was dressed and sitting on her couch waiting. She tried to read but found her eyes returning to the same sentence three consecutive times before tossing it aside. She got up to rearrange her measly few pictures of her friends in Paris; she considered calling Heather before remembering how godforsaken early it was in the morning. She finally contented herself with sitting and trying to clear her mind of all thoughts, about what the job could be, why she was only being contacted now and who was on the team but most of all what her reunion with Arthur and whoever was coming with him would be like.

At eight o'clock exactly there was a knock on her door. Ariadne jumped up and all but ran to the door, flinging it open to reveal Arthur standing in her door way with Eames just behind him. She was struck with the sudden urge to fling her arms around these men that she had been close with for that short period of time. Only a small flicker of resentment at being abandoned and her dignity stopped her. Instead she greeted them and invited them into her apartment.

"So love what have you been up to?" Eames asked her when they were all seated in her living room a few moments later.

"This and that. Mostly studying for my degree." She told him, emitting any information about her personal life, and rampant imagination.  
"Well that's boring." He sighed theatrically, "and here I thought I'd had an influence on you."

"No fortunately not. She's still alive and not in debt" Arthur quipped dryly

"I am not in debt!" Eames cried in mock outrage

"Only because you're the worst type of criminal. Which is a lot coming from me." Arthur told him with a barely noticeable eye-roll.

"This is coming from you Arthur really?" Eames scoffed.

"Which is where the 'a lot coming from me' comes in." Arthur told him slowly.

"Bite me." Snapped Eames. Arthur threw his companion a smug smile.

She grinned at their antics despite herself, sure she would get tired of the bickering pretty quickly but for now it was refreshingly normal.

"So what exactly is this job you need me for?" She interrupted them forcing the grin into a small smile.

"Well," Arthur's demeanour immediately switched from the quick glimpse of playfulness to serious while his voice became more businesslike "The mark is an American ballerina living in Germany, Pippa Green." He pulled a file from a briefcase she hadn't noticed him holding, let alone opening on his lap. He produced a photo of a waif-like strawberry blonde woman from the file and handed it to her. Ariadne took the photo mutely. She carefully scrutinised at the woman smiling up at her. Her first thought was the woman looked to happy to be a ballerina, her second thought was how nice she looked, not like anyone she would expect to be involved a world where Extraction was ever heard of.

"She looks nice," she voiced her thoughts after Eames cleared his throat slightly, as the two men waited for her to speak "Why is she the mark?"

"This lovely lady is married to a big German mobster." Eames told her, "Looks can sometimes be deceiving remember lovely." He winked at her.

"It's a simple extraction; we have to see what she knows about her husband's plans. In particular his control on drugs and weaponry in Berlin." Arthur cut him off with a glare.

"Why not just extract from the mobster..." she started before realising she didn't know his name.

"Gunsberg." Eames filled in the blank for her with a knowing grin.

"Because Gunsberg has had training against extraction." Arthur said immediately shooting down that course of action. Of course crime bosses and politicians would have protection against extraction whilst ballerina trophy wives were less likely to be as well equipped to defend themselves.

"Why do you need me for this job exactly?" she asked them to hide her embarrassment. The two men sent each other quick looks. She would have been amused at the similar expressions on their faces if they hadn't aroused her curiosity.

"You're the only young female architect around that has any talent." Arthur says so smoothly and believably Ariadne begins to think she imagined the look, "You'll be able to relate the dream more to the mark, maybe get her to trust you more."

"And you're such fun to work with." Eames chimed in, "Not that that's how we choose teams. It's always whose best for the job, right Arthur darling?"

"Exactly right." Arthur nodded, ignoring Eames patronising crack.

"Who exactly are we working for?" She asked quirking a brow, wanting to know as much about the job as possible.

There it was, another look exchanged between the two men, longer this time. It was Eames who looked away first. "We can't tell you." He said.

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" She asked, frustrated "Don't you trust me enough to know or something?" She felt a surge of disappointment that after all this time she still didn't trust her fully. She didn't blame them but a little faith would have been helpful.

"No not at all." Eames told her seriously, "I don't even know who it is."

"Oh." Was all she said, as she stared at her hands, an embarrassed heat igniting her cheeks. Being around these men again reminded her how little she really knew about this new world she claimed to love.

"For security purposes in most circumstances only the extractor will know the employee." Arthur told her kindly,

"What about the Fischer job? We all knew Saito." She found herself asking.

"That wasn't exactly most circumstances." Eames chuckled, "Despite the Inception."

"Saito went into the dream with us." Arthur clarified, "We had to know all of the team."

"Employers almost never go out in the field. Ever." Eames told her kicking his feet up onto her coffee table.

"Why's that?" She asked curious for any information to store in her brain for later about the ins and outs of the job.

"No room for tourists." He told her seriously.  
"And most employers want as little to do with the job as possible." Arthur interjected, leaning forwards in the armchair, "If something goes wrong they can claim no knowledge."

"That's reassuring," she swallowed dryly, pushing Eames feet off the table. His expensive looking shoes landed on her carped with a soft thump "keep your feet off of the furniture." She told him sternly, Arthur chuckled quietly.

"Yes Mum." He muttered darkly before turning to Arthur, "You didn't tell me she was going to be a party pooper."

"How was I meant to know?" Arthur's smile grew a little wider

"It's your job," Eames accused, narrowing his eyes.

"Speaking of the job," Ariadne cut in yet again, "Can you tell me who's on the team now or not?"

"Oh I don't know maybe we're not secure here, maybe someone's bugged your place." Eames told her with a teasing grin directed at Arthur.  
"That was one time." He defended himself eyebrows raised, "and there actually was a bug so I was justified."

"You couldn't have known there was a bug." Eames teased him. Ariadne lifted her bare feet up onto the couch, ready to settle in for another little squabble. Instead Arthur ignored the forger and answered her question. "You, me and Eames of course, and Yusef."

"So the Inception team." She commented, wrapping her arms around her legs, "Why didn't you tell me that the other night, then maybe I would have said yes straight away." She accused Arthur.

"Never make a decision on a job based on a team." He told her calmly laying his palms flat on his knees.

"What else was I supposed to make a decision on, the job?" She scoffed, louder and more hysterical than she wanted to be. Both men looked at her Arthur with a quirk of an eyebrow and Eames with an amused smirk.

"You were meant to make a decision whether or not this was what you actually wanted remember?" Arthur asked her after a prolonged silence, "No factors of any kind to influence your decision."

"How noble of you." Eames gushed dramatically as he nudged the man's foot with his own.

"She's here now so don't get your knickers in a knot." Arthur shoved his foot back.

"Hang on a second." Ariadne said, going back over the overload of information they'd just given her, "If the extractor knows the client who the hell is our extractor?"

"Well," Eames said, "This job is another rather unconventional one. You'll probably be bored when you come to work normal run of the mill extractions with a full team."

"How is it unconventional?" She sighed, rubbing her temples slightly, "Just cut to the chase."

"We don't have an extractor as such that's all." Eames shrugged.

"Isn't the extractor central to the team, like a leader?" She asked, drawing on her experience from the Inception.

"Well yes but not to the extent Dom was. He liked to be in complete control." Arthur explained

"Psychological, maybe sexual, issues." Eames whispered to her with a wink.

"So what exactly are we doing about this 'unconventional' situation?" Ariadne asked once her small giggles subsided.

"Arthur and myself will split the responsibilities." Eames shrugged, "It's not like there's that much to do in this particular situation."

"So Arthur is the only one that knows who's hired us?" she asked, frowning slightly.

There was a couple of seconds of silence before she got her answer, not long enough to make her suspicious but she noticed. "Yes." Arthur told her smoothly, "I know who they are and I've checked them out."  
"Anything else unusual I need to know?" She asked them.

"We'll base ourselves here in Paris so you can keep up your studies for as long as possible." Arthur started

"But eventually we're going have to go to Germany and maybe America, can you deal with that?" Eames asked her, for once being slightly serious.

"I can." She nodded, not stopping to work out the practicality. She didn't care; she was back doing what the hell she wanted to do with her life.

"Well then welcome to the team." Eames said, and despite the cliché-ness of it Ariadne couldn't help smiling.

No matter how she's got here Ariadne was back doing what she thought she had lost forever.

* * *

**A/N: Ehh, wasn't my best chapter. Thoughts are as always welcome. Maybe I'll start doing what I did in NCIS in review for a preview. That'd be fun I think, I love hearing feedback of previews xD.  
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**Till next time**

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	5. Chapter 4

**Summary: **** Inertia - the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. What happens when Ariadne's inertia is thrown off yet again? A dangerous job, old friends and the continuing question: Is this real?**

**Disclaimer: Would _you_ sell me the rights to this if you could? No didn't think so**

**A/N: Longer wait but slightly longer chapter. Sorry for that but it can't be helped with school and everything  
**

* * *

_Inertia_

_Chapter 4_

"_I'm ready to go, lead me into the light" _

* * *

After meeting with the two extractors in her apartment on Monday morning and being driven to her afternoon class by Eames, she didn't see or hear from them for days. She hadn't been able to concentrate on any of her school work since, it wasn't that she thought they'd leave her again it was the fact they'd offered her such a tantalizing and adventurous opportunity. She supposed that they would have her working on the weekend and not interrupt her schooling. She still sometimes wished she could ditch school before scolding herself and reminding herself that a degree was practical and legal in the real world.

She wasn't expecting to see anything from either of them which was why she was surprised to find Arthur waiting for her outside her lecture on Thursday morning, to say she was shell shocked would be an appropriate term.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him after regaining her ability to produce a sentence.

"I'm picking you up from school." He told her as if it were obvious, "I can wait for you to check your totem if you want." She wasn't sure if he was teasing her or being serious.

"I think I know the difference between reality and dreaming by now thanks." She told him indigently, at his signature raised eyebrow look she quickly asked "Why do you need to 'pick me up from school' anyway? I'm not 5."

"Well seeing as you don't know where our current headquarters is located, I figured you might need to be shown."

"Headquarters?" She echoed him.

"Yes, where we work. Unless you have other plans."

"No, no other plans." She shook her head, "So where's headquarters? Underground? No wait, under the sea right?" she said sarcastically.

He looked at her in a manner she thought was condescending, "I'm going to show you that."

"Right, of course how are we getting there?" she flustered.

"Walking. Unless you'd like me to call the flying car?"

"On second thought just let me check my totem for a second." He surveyed her in amusement as she put her totem on the wall next to her and gave it a small push of an exact amount of force. As it fell over she let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. She stood, still staring at the toppled totem, not sure weather or not she was glad it was reality

"Are you content now?" He spoke up after she'd been staring at the bishop for what felt like a long stretch of time.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Moving her head to look at him felt like moving through water, slow and blurry but precise.

"Shall we go then?" He gestured his head forward and she moved to stand in line with him.

"I guess so." She said, as he began a brisk stride forward.

"You only guess so?" He sounded teasing, "Don't you trust me."

"I thought I wasn't supposed to." She said, power walking to keep pace with him.

"Ahh quite the opposite you need to trust your team implicitly, at least professionally." He scolded lightly, "Working with someone you don't trust has disastrous results trust me."

"You work with Eames." She pointed out, "I thought you didn't trust him."

"Really?" Arthur sounded shocked as he slowed his pace, remembering his companion had shorter legs than him, "You think I don't trust Eames?"

It took a couple of seconds for her to realise he had slowed and by then she was a few paces in front. "You haven't given me any reason to think otherwise." Because she was in front of him she didn't see his reaction to that.

"I do trust Eames." Arthur said slowly, as if organizing his thoughts. One thing she had noticed about him was that he very rarely spoke without a carefully structured thought process, "I may not like him terribly much or the shit he does but I do trust him."

"Really? I never would have guessed." Ariadne said once they drew level and continued walking.

"I wouldn't work with him if there were reason not to trust him, I wouldn't work with him a second or third time if I didn't trust him." He told her before cracking a smile, "Well trust him with my life during a job. Otherwise, no not so much." Ariadne couldn't help laughing at that.

They walked the streets in silence for a few minutes before Ariadne was struck with the urge to break it, "So what have you guys been doing since the Inception?" she asked before blushing. It sounded like bad forced small talk or an even worse pick up line. If Arthur thought the question was lame or stupid he didn't show it. Instead he contemplated it for a few seconds, Ariadne was sure he was deciding how much he could tell her before answering. "Buy us I assume you mean me and Eames?" at her nod he continued "I can't speak for Eames, I think he went back to Mombasa for a while before moving on to England before I lost track of him for a while."

"Where was he when you found him for this job." She interrupted him before she could help herself. Instead of being annoyed like she feared Arthur sent her a small fond smile, "Australia believe it or not. Said he liked the little he'd seen of Sydney."

"Sydney? Isn't that a bit risky and all?" Ariadne frowned, feeling paranoid all of a sudden. She shouldn't, Eames knew a heck of a lot more than her about the businesses, but still she was worried.

"He was in Melbourne actually." Arthur corrected, "But he was perfectly safe, Fischer has been back to Australia only twice in the last 18 months, the odds of them running into each other where slim at worst." Ariadne cast her eyes down to her shoes, embarrassed that she was so transparent. She was glad when Arthur made no reference to her small, petty predicament and instead continued to answer her question. "I on the other hand have taken a couple of small, simple jobs with other teams and visited my family for a bit in the states," his words shouldn't have surprised Ariadne, but they really did. Of course Arthur had a family. This wasn't some cliché movie with a loner hero. Sure Arthur was always professional but he must have had some sort of family. Now she sounded like the stupid movie blonde. Shaking her head she banishes the shallow thought and they walk in silence.

* * *

"I've never seen this part of Paris." Ariadne told Arthur as the passed a young, passionate couple of the street.  
"There's a good reason for that." He told her with what she thought might have been a cheeky grin.

"Where about is this warehouse then?" She ignoring his smart-ass crack.

"You'll see soon enough." He said in any annoyingly cryptic way.

"I think you have no idea where we're going." She told him, eyeing the pastry shop they walked past reminding her she hadn't eaten since breakfast.

Arthur let out a short mouth, "You're really asking that?"

"Okay, maybe it was a stupid thing to say." She shrugged, feeling more comfortable around him than she had since they had returned to her life.

"Maybe." He agreed, glancing at him sideways she thought she saw him smirk but it was gone almost as soon as it had come. Now she was thinking in Cliché's she berated herself.

"Will you and Eames teach me more stuff this time?" She asked him the question she'd had burning in the back of her mind since Sunday.

"Stuff? What type of stuff?" He was defiantly smiling this time, and not hiding it she noted.

"Things I need to know for the job," she said matter – of – factly "how one actually performs an extraction."

"Well you'll learn that over the course of the job, just like you learnt about Inception." Arthur stopped and turned to look at her.

"I couldn't do it by myself." She felt like she should have stamped her foot to add the childishness of the remark.

"No I don't think any of us could." He said, sounding slightly amused.

Ariadne craned her head up to look him in the eye. "But you would know how to organise it."

"Last time we just made it up as we went along." He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "as much as it pains me to admit, and don't tell Eames I said that."

"That's not my point." She glanced at his hand mindlessly for a minute before returning her eyes to his, "Are you going to teach me how to extract?"

"Of course, to be able to do the job you'll have to learn." He ran his thumb over her shoulder for a second before removing his hand and beginning to walk again "No room for tourists on a job."

"That's not what I meant." She followed him, having to jog to keep up with him again, "I mean I want you to teach me so that I can do a job myself."

"Ariadne, your job is to design the dream." Arthur stopped, suddenly, "Most of the time you won't even enter the dream."

"What if I want to?" She asked stubbornly

"Ariadne you do your job, nothing more nothing less." He turned to face her, "That's how it's works, it's how it's always worked and if you can't do it I guess you have no real place here." His words though true and not meant maliciously were like a slap to the face.

"1 level Extractions are going to be boring after this." She chocked out the only clear thought she had running around in her brain.

"Ariadne, more than ninety percent of jobs in this business are one-layer extractions. If they aren't exciting enough for you maybe you should try something else?"

"You mean be a 'normal' architect. After all this?" she crossed her arms as a cold chill picked up.

"I meant try another field of dream sharing, something more experimental." He said calmly, unfazed by her seemingly random outburst.

"I want to do this, and I want you to teach me." Again she felt a foot stomp would nicely punctuate her statement.

"We'll teach you the basic skills, anything else will just take time you could be spending designing the dreams and doing your job." His words, though calm and practical made her blood boil like it never quite had before. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a young boy being chased down the street by a little blonde girl with pigtails.

"I want to learn." She told him stubbornly.

"Ariadne, you'll learn what we think you need to learn. Can't that be enough for you?" He started to sound exasperated she noticed with satisfaction

"No. Don't you dare go into 'what we thinks best for you'" She really does stomp her foot this time as the young girl starts yelling at the boy, "You two left me without any freaking contact for close to two years. Left me by myself to try and shift my perspective of reality. I was paranoid for more than a freaking year, and then I thought I'd been imagining this shit. I thought I was going mad." She screams the last word at him. He blinks slightly at her out burst and she wonders what she'd have to do to get a normal reaction to sudden outbursts.

He opens his mouth, she's expecting an apology, an explanation, anything really but what he says "Ariadne is this really the time for that."

"When exactly, is a better time?" She spits as a balding tattooed man charges at a redheaded woman with a knife, through the park they're standing in.

"Could you please control your subconscious?" He asks her mildly.

"My subconscious." She all but splutters, "This wasn't a dream. I pushed my totem."

"That was reality." He informs her like she's a small child, "We got to the office building and went under. This part is a dream."

"Freaking hell Arthur you can't just pull me into dreams willy nilly."

"I didn't, you agreed as a learning experience." She's sure he's laughing at her now, there's something in his eyes that's more, joyful it's different from anything she's ever seen in him before.  
"How the hell was this a learning experience?" She fumes.

"Subconscious projections reflect emotions, as your subconscious as so kindly demonstrated for us." He's defiantly smiling now; she'd forgotten how a bright smile made him look much younger, not much older than her in fact.

"Effing hell." She moaned, cradling her head in her hands as she remembered the first projections she'd seen.

"I think it's about time to wake up." He placed another comforting hand on her elbow, "Do you want me to speed up the process?" He asked kindly.

"No I think I can wait" She smiles before remembering her earlier anger, "And this doesn't let you off the freaking ho-"

* * *

She sat up coughing and spluttering as she always wakes up from dreams these days. Eames is standing over her, a neatly packed PASIV device sitting on the table.

"Where the hell did Arthur go?" She snapped at him.

Eames nodded his head towards a form disappearing down an emergency exit stairwell, "Trouble in paradise, love?" he teased her.

"I'm mad at you to." She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and falling back in the lounge chair.

* * *

**A/N: I'm going to lower myself to begging for reviews. Just this once. Year 11's getting heavier and I'm finding less time to write, especially since I don't think that many people are reading this. Just 10 reviews for a chapter please? I'm not going to withhold a chapter because that's just cruel but like you know if you're a writer reviews really make you happy to get and help speed the writing process. Ok I've stopped begging now**

**Until Next time**

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	6. Chapter 5

**Summary****: Inertia - the tendency of a body to maintain its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force. What happens when Ariadne's inertia is thrown off yet again? A dangerous mission, old friends and the continuing question: Is this real?**

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inception, I am not nearly clever enough to bend minds like that. Also I've only read a handful of Inception fics so this all comes from my messed up mind  
Chapter Dedication: Platypus Core  
Soundtrack: 528491 - Hans Zimmer**

**A/N: Alright short chapter. Sorry it took so long and it was so short but both me and my beta are being bombarded with year 11 at the moment. I haven't even started work on the next chapter, but there's a long weekend next weekend so I'll try typing then. Also, i know my characterization is still a little off, but it's been 18 months since the Inception and I think Ariadne has a right to be confused about her feelings. That said hopefully I've fixed it this chapter. Also more of Eames and Arthur this time.  
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* * *

_Inertia _

_Chapter 5 _

_"My head is spinning and I've lost all feeling."  
_

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* * *

_

After returning home on Thursday evening Ariadne had time to think. About Eames and Arthur and the way she'd reacted like a spoiled, bratty child. Even if she was pissed or annoyed she couldn't let them get to her. She was going to end up in a male dominated job, whether dream or reality architecture and she couldn't make herself an easy target. Next time she saw them (on Sunday as she had arranged with Eames) she would go on as if nothing had happened, start treating the boys with some respect and bury her frustration. She was affected more than she thought by their absence; than she should have been. She could stand Limbo and Mal but abandonment issues? She came the closest she ever had to falling apart. One thing she did know was the sooner she returned to herself the better she'd feel.

* * *

"Do you not have a hotel room of your own?" Arthur sighed, he hadn't even shut the door when he felt another presence in his supposedly empty room.

"Yours is nicer than mine." The forger said simply as he flicked on the lamp next to the couch he was sitting on, illuminating the dark room.

"You could afford something better than that shit heap you stay at." He snorted, shrugging off his jacket and hanging it on the wall hook.

"Why waste the money when all I do is sleep there?" Eames grinned widely

"Because your always here." Arthur pointed out, "What _do_ you do on other jobs."

"Stay in a place like this of course."

"Of course." Arthur rolled his eyes very slightly, "That doesn't surprise me."

"What exactly was that stunt you pulled today about?" Eames was lounging on the couch with a scotch on the table next to him.

"What stunt?" Arthur rolled his sleeves up as he walked towards the mini bar.

"Don't play stupid young man," Eames waged his finger mockingly, "The stunt with Ariadne."

"I was teaching her some basics of extraction." He frowned as he pulled a beer from the mini bar.

"And after you woke up you were out of there like you'd been poisoned." Eames crossed his legs, "Beer on the job?" he added with a gasp

"I'm not working right now." Arthur popped off the lid with the ease of practice.

"You never drink during a job at all," Eames furrowed his brow as he considered the abnormality in the Point mans behaviour.

"Because you've worked with me on every job?" Arthur raised a brow in his signature way.

"In my experience." He amended with his shrug, "And answer my question."

"You didn't ask a question." Arthur shrugged as he sat down in the arm chair, back straight and not quite relaxed, weather from wariness of the question or habit Eames wasn't quite sure.

"Don't get technical with me love." The Brit raised his brow.

"I had work to do." Arthur told him as he took a gulp of his beer.

"Forgive me for not buying it." Eames said sarcastically.

"Your choice," He put the beer down on the coffee table, "If you choose to believe there's dramatic hidden meanings behind everything everyone does it's your problem. Unless it affects _our_ job."

"Now who's being melodramatic," Eames rolled his eyes as he reached for the scotch.

"I'm looking out for the safety of this team." Arthur snapped.

"You've become paranoid since Cobb." Eames told him automatically with a lack of thought. Arthur froze for a second, it was the first time either of them had mentioned the extractor to each other since the Inception.

"Can you blame me?" Arthur finally said, "It's my job to keep the team safe."

"And Cobb's personal issues endangered our safety! You feel guilty you didn't see it and do something because it's your job." Eames rolled his eyes, "This team isn't all about you Arthur."

Arthur just ignored the Englishman with a slight headshake; "Maybe you should remember that about yourself." He snipped back. Eames downed the scotch before slamming the glass on the table with a little more force than was strictly necessary.

"We're getting a little off topic." Arthur pointed out with a small, wry grin.

"Now you won't even argue with me," Eames pouted, "Where is the fun in that?"

"We aren't here to have fun."

"Why not?" Eames said wickedly, "It's not like we're working."

Arthur rolled his eyes before changing the topic abruptly, "Did you contact Yusef?"

"Yep." Eames nodded, becoming fractionally more alert and serious, "I can do my job well enough."

"Peace." Arthur chuckled, hands out in a joking gesture of surrender, "Just making sure. What did he say?"

"He agreed to come over after I told him what was at stake." Eames sat up with a groan, "but he won't be here until a week before the job."

"We could be in America or Germany then." Arthur pointed out.

"Thank you for that new and enlightening piece of information." Eames rolled his eyes; "If we're going to be somewhere we can contact him and tell him to meet us there. Don't stress so much darling, it's giving me a headache."

"It's my job to stress." Arthur began to roll up his sleeve cuffs.

"Doubly as much now that you're in charge." Eames nodded thoughtfully, "Maybe I'll have to get you wasted to loosen you up."

"Eames." Arthur shot the forger a warning glare.

"I'm kidding. You tolerance for alcohol is way to high for someone who never drinks."

"Anymore." Arthur pointed out.

"I can't help thinking we've forgotten something or someone." Eames mused, rolling his glass between his hands.

"It's not your job to worry it's mine." Arthur sighed, leaning back in the chair and shutting his eyes, "I am actually exhausted."

"Well there's a first time for everything I guess." Eames chuckled, "And I'm not surprised with that stunt you pulled today."

"I didn't pull a stunt it was a learning experience." He sighed, again, cracking his eyelids open to give Eames an exasperated look

"With anyone else I would call bullshit." Eames said, "Though sadly with you I actually believe that. You never do anything rash or that could jeopardize anything."

"Exactly."

Of course, there's always a first time for everything.

* * *

"Two guys Ariadne." Was the greeting Ariadne got from Heather after her class on Friday.

"Excuse me?" She asked, sure that she'd been caught out with her head in the clouds again and missed something.

"Why didn't you tell me your dating to guys?" Ariadne stared at her friend in shock, where on earth would she have gotten the ludicrous idea from.

"I'm not." Ariadne said slowly as the two of them meandered through the halls, "What gave you that idea."

"Rumour is Monday morning you were dropped off by one guy and picked up by a different one yesterday afternoon." Heather flicked her hair in an insanely girly manner, "Apparently the jury is still out on who was hotter."

"Ahh so we've sunk to believing the rumours now Heather." Ariadne nudged her friend with her shoulder, "Is the wedding pressure getting to you?"

"No, as a matter of fact it's not." Heather said proudly, "and even if it was it hasn't impaired my sight."

"You saw me?" Ariadne raised her eyebrows disbelievingly,

"Yesterday afternoon." Heather nodded, "If I wasn't getting married I might try and give you some competition with him." She bumped her friend's shoulder in return.

"I'm not dating him." Ariadne said firmly.

"Forgive me for not believing you. Although you did look like you were arguing," She added with a thoughtful expression, one Ariadne rarely saw on her friend's face

"We weren't arguing I was just shocked to see him." She said calmly, "And I'm not dating either of them I'm working with them."

"Where can I get me a job with two hotties." Heather joked before realization seeped across her face followed by a slight increase in happiness; Ariadne was struck by the humour in it. "You're working again? good." Ariadne expected her to start clapping any second now, "You haven't had a job since that work placement a couple of years ago." She nodded before a look of wariness appeared, "This doesn't have anything to do with that does it?"

"Of course not." Ariadne lied through her teeth; thankfully Heather didn't pick up on it.

"Oh good, because then I'd be worried." Heather nodded as the two girls stepped out of the campus and onto the street, "You've only just started to become normal again, relatively speaking."

Heather continued to chatter away to her but Ariadne wasn't paying attention. For the first time, the thought occurred to her that maybe this wasn't the right choice. But she wouldn't do anything about it because she was addicted. She needed it, and if she could only take it once more then she was going to make it bloody worth it.

* * *

**A/N: Again hopefully characterization is a bit better here. also first person the name the song gets a preview? Does that work? Also thanks to the 6 reviewers from last chapter. It wasn't 10 but it was an improvment. Until next time, however long that may be**

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